1. (v. t.) To lop or cut off the superfluous parts, branches, or shoots of; to clear of useless material; to shape or smooth by trimming; to trim: as, to prune trees; to prune an essay.

2. (v. t.) To cut off or cut out, as useless parts.

3. (v. t.) To preen; to prepare; to dress.

4. (v. i.) To dress; to prink; -used humorously or in contempt.

5. (n.) A plum; esp., a dried plum, used in cookery; as, French or Turkish prunes; California prunes.

abbreviate abridge abscind abstract amputate annihilate ax backset ban bar bisect blockhead bob boil down brash butcher capsulize carve chop chump cleave clip compress condense contract crop cull cultivate culture curtail cut cut away cut back cut down cut in two cut off cut off short cut out cut short delve dichotomize dig dimwit dissever dock dolt dope dress dumbbell elide eliminate enucleate epitomize eradicate except excise exclude extinguish extirpate fallow fertilize fissure force foreshorten gash hack halve harrow hew hoe idiot ignoramus incise isolate jigsaw knock off lance list lop moron mow mulch mutilate nip pare peel pick out plow poll pollard rake reap recap recapitulate reduce rend retrench rive root out rule out saw scissor set apart set aside sever shave shear shorten skive slash slice slit snip snub spade split stamp out strike off strip strip off stunt sum up summarize sunder synopsize take in take off take out tear telescope thin thin out till till the soil trim truncate weed weed out whittle wipe out work